Our Deal

Best Coast

Chapter 1

…..

Two bodies moving together. Heated touches. Passionate kisses. Tongues moving together. Tasting one another. Hands roaming. Becoming familiar with each other's bodies. Moving together as one. Her moans addicting. Trying to serve her every need. Trying to fulfill his purpose as hers.

Harder. Faster. Slower. Deeper. Her wish was his command.

Her film of sweat forming. He was taking her to new highs. A place she had never been before. His fingers in her hair. Looking in her eyes. Her gorgeous grey eyes. Her hands on his back. His hand on her thigh. Both reaching their peaks at the same time…

And suddenly….Andre's eye opened. Sitting up. Wiping the sweat off of his forehead. Putting his face in his hands. The dream again. He and Jade. It felt so real. And it was real for that one moment. She let him touch her in the most intimate way possible. Touching his lips. It was as if he felt her lips still there. And he tasted her on his tongue.

But he couldn't go there with her. Even if her and Beck were no more. What friend would he be if he did that? It's not as if she would want him.

This obsession with her since that song. That damn song. Her beautiful voice. Her beautiful clear voice that still rang in his ears.

Tori was right. Jade was everything he shouldn't be attracted too. But he still fell for her. Longed for her. Seeing her anger and short temper as something deeper. A defense mechanism. She had been hurt before. Somehow. And he could see it.

But could Beck? Back and forth. On and off. Their relationship was. And it only added to Jade's roughness. She needed stability….

But he knew deep down he would never have the opportunity to give her that.

Jade huddled herself in the corner of her bedroom. The darkness cascaded and covered her. But no matter how hard she closed her eyes. Her reality never changed. And no one would know of this reality, except for her. She would put on this façade for those around her to see. They would not probe. And that was what she wanted. At least what she told herself.

Her sharp tongue kept them far away from her. Her gothic nature fascinated and scared them at the same time.

Kind hearted Vega. The girl who she knew wanted nothing more than just to make peace.

Bubbly Cat whose ditzy, goofy ways made her laugh though she dare not show it.

Nerdy Robbie whose shyness and awkwardness was what made him Robbie…and then there was…..

Charismatic Beck. The boy she had put so much energy into. The boy she had used to try to drown out her problems. The boy who she knew had more chemistry with Tori than her. She was like her mother. But unlike her mother, she used boys rather than alcohol.

That was why she was here holding herself. Rocking back and forth. The nightmares. The flashbacks came all at once. And no matter how much she hid behind her gothic ways. It was never enough. Wiping her eyes, she remembered…it was so long ago…..but at night time….the moment replayed over and over again.

"Mommy? Where are you?" a ten year old Jade walked through her small home searching for the woman who was supposed to protect her from everything that wanted to harm her.

Crack

Biting her lip, she ran to the bathroom. Opening the door slowly. Seeing her mother on the ground on the ground. Licking perfume off the ceramic floor. The broken perfume bottle on the ground. Shattered into a million pieces.

"Mommy….." She said silently crying. Walking to the kitchen, grabbing the dust pan and broom. Seeing the beer bottles in the trash can. They were out once again. And her mother went through extreme measures to fill her void. At least it is not the rubbing alcohol again.

Returning, she cried seeing her mother lick the liquid. Not caring how it was hurting herself or her daughter.

"Stop it….." Jade yelled as she walked to the woman with matching grey eyes.

"Go away Jade." Her mother's voice cracked. The woman held herself trying to get as much as she could.

"No I won't." Jade wrapped her arms around the woman's neck hoping that she would hold her back.

"Jade go away!" He mother yelled pushing the little girl away from her. On the hard floor. As pieces of glass cut her arms….

She still felt them on her arms. Now healed but she wasn't. she never would be. And no one seemed to care. And that was what she deserved. Because of her actions toward the people around her…..

Especially Andre. Andre Harris. The boy who was light-hearted. And fun…and always found the good in everything. And he had the ability to bring it out of everyone around him. She hated how she couldn't find one thing about him to hate. And she hated how found herself wanting to be close to him anyway possible.

Helping Andre with his song.

Hammertime.

The sushi restaurant during Robbie's Hambone competition.

But her life was a tangled web of complication that couldn't be fixed. And the more she tried to not be like her mother. The woman always came out her in different ways. Her short temper. Her witty remarks. And that was why she tried to be different.

The dark clothes. Hair extensions. Odd colored highlights. But it was no escape. The only escape she had was her music….and then there was Beck….who was not hers anymore. And then thinking…..she realized…he was never really hers…..

Picking herself off of the ground, she walked to her grandmother's room. Kissing the old woman on the forehead as she slept. Finding herself watching the wrinkled cute woman sleep. At least there was someone else in her life who shared her same pain. And she would always love her for taking her away her mother. At least now, she didn't have to worry about hearing her mother with random men at night…..or worrying where her mother was when she wasn't in her house.

Pulling the cover over her granny, she noticed a picture on her nightstand. She and her mother. The two people her grandmother loved in the entire world. And as many times as they tried to give her mother interventions or send her to rehab….it wasn't enough….

Jade picked up the picture on the nightstand. Brushing a piece of her hair behind her ear. The pit of her stomach weighted her down…and her anger boiled. Why did she love her mother after everything she did to them. Placing the picture down gently. She left the house.

She didn't know where she was walking to. She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. All she wanted was to not feel so weak. They thought she was stronger than what she really was. But she wasn't. Not at all. And her feet wouldn't let her stop. The cool breeze blowing. She should have gotten a jacket. How could she forget?

…..

Being here always made things better. Took his mind off of all the complications. Grazing his fingers over the piano keys, he let the sound soft music be his guide.

Now that she's back in the atmosphere

With drops of Jupiter in her hair

She acts like summer and walks like rain

Reminds me that there's time a to change

And Jade was the only thing that ran through his mind. Envisioning her with him. smiling. A true smile. Being where she needed to be. In his arms.

As she opened the doors. To her school. The melodic tones soothed her. This voice. She recognized. Andre's. it always took her to another place. Her feet guiding her to the music room. Opening the door, she saw him there. Playing. In his element. Admiring him like she had that night.

Tell me did you sail across the sun

Did you make it to the milky way to see the lights all faded

And that heaven is overrated

Andre felt a presence behind him. abruptly stopping, he turned around seeing Jade stand in the door frame. Her dark hair flowing. Her hands clutching her arms. Both were speechless.

"That was really beautiful Andre." She walked to him as his eyes didn't drop hers. Like he was looking for an explanation as to why she was there at this time in the morning.

"Thanks." He said softly noticing she was paler than usual. And the tear stains on her face that he was too smart to point out. And her constant shivering. It must have been unsettling for her to not wear a jacket outside.

"Here." He said taking off his hoodie over his head. Jade turned her head noticing how this somewhat exposed his stomach. Since when was she shy around boys?

"No thanks." She said as she sat down beside him. "are you going to finish it?" she asked trying to hate him with every fiber in her body.

"Finish what?" he was captivated by her beauty.

"Drops of Jupiter….duh…." She held herself tighter as he continued to play. His voice relaxing her.

Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star

One without a permanent scar

And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there

Jade watched him. intently. Wishing she could be the girl in the song he was singing to. But she would just get disposed of. Like Beck did her. Like her mother did her. Like her father did her. And she didn't belong anywhere. She was a misfit.

As Andre stopped playing. He noticed how she kept rubbing her arms. This wasn't the Jade he was used to seeing.

"Jade…." He unconsciously gently tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. He always wondered why she never had a problem with him touching her.

"You know I don't like being touched." She forcefully said, trying to convince herself of this… but Andre's touch made her forget that.

"you're cold." He ignored her words as he found himself trying to rub her arms. Jade only hit his hands to keep him away. "You're so stubborn. Would it have been so hard to except my hoodie."

"I'm fine." She said with venom but it didn't scare him away. If anything, it made him want to take care of her even more.

"You're still cold." He said plainly rubbing her arms as she reluctantly let him. Goosebumps on her arm forming. "What's wrong? What's got you so wonky?" He tried to tease her seeing a smirk.

"Nothing…." She lied as he let it go. Putting his hoodie over her head. This time she didn't refuse as she put her arms through pulling it down. "What brings you here?" she asked.

"I couldn't sleep." He said as flashbacks of him and her crossed his mind. He was so close to her. And she let him touch her.

"me either…." she said silently seeing the emotion on his face. In his deep brown eyes. Asking a silent question with them. The dark girl found herself leaning in waiting to taste his lips. It was just a peck. A soft peck. A peck that made her want more from him. The unsure kiss. Eyes meeting again. He leaned in once more. His finger holding her chin in place.

She didn't know how he did it. She didn't know how he always made her vulnerable. Beck never did this to her. But here she was. Kissing his best friend. But in that moment. Beck didn't matter. Or her mother. But then she realized that he would too leave her like they did.

Andre lost himself in this kiss. Somehow he found his hands grab her waist as her hands cupped his face. Finally, he was able to have a little piece of her. Even if it was for this only moment.

"Andre." She parted away from him. her hand on his chest. Trying to gasp for air. "That can't happen again." She said as he nodded.

"I know it can't." He said still holding her looking in her eyes.

It was as if what he just said was never spoken. She closed her eyes feeling his hands rub against her back. It was like he knew how to calm her. Everything about him relaxed her.

"I….I thought we said it could never happen again." She barely whispered seeing passion in his eyes.

"I did….but it's hard to let you go." He said having to pry his hands from around her. Seeing her in his hoodie was the sexiest thing he had ever seen.

"Andre…you have to….I'm going to pull you down too." She felt lost when his hands disappeared from her waist. Folding her lips together, she walked away from him. touching her lips. She did him the biggest favor. Keeping him away from her. But she knew deep down it was going to be impossible.